Method of assembling an electrode array that includes a plastically deformable carrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10780262-B2
Application number	US-201514829200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2015
Priority date	May 30, 2008
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

A method of assembling an implantable electrode array from a coupon ( 108 ) formed from plastically deformable material. Layers of material are disposed on the coupon to form the electrodes ( 48 ) and conductors ( 62 ) of one or more electrode arrays. Sections of the coupon on which the electrodes and conductors are removed, along with the electrodes and conductors to form the electrode arrays. The removed sections of the coupon thus function as plastically deformable carriers ( 74 ) for the arrays ( 40 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of assembling an implantable electrode array, the method including the steps of:
providing a coupon that lies in a plane and is formed of a flexible material;
at least partially shaping carrier-defining sections of the coupon such that carriers extend out the plane of the coupon;
bonding the coupon including the carriers to a rigid substrate;
while the carriers are bonded to the rigid substrate, applying at least one layer of insulating material and at least one layer of conductive material in separate steps to an exposed face of the carriers to form at least one electrode and at least conductor on each of the carriers; and
after formation of the at least one electrode and the at least one conductor on the carriers, releasing the carriers from the rigid substrate so that each carrier and the at least one electrode and the at least one conductor formed thereon form an electrode array assembly, and further separating the carriers from an adjacent section of the coupon.

2. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 1 , further comprising forming the coupon of plastically deformable material.

3. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 1 , further comprising forming the coupon of polyamide film.

4. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 1 , wherein separating the carriers from the adjacent section of the coupon occurs prior to releasing the carriers from the rigid substrate.

5. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 1 , further comprising at least partially shaping the coupon to define the carriers.

6. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 5 , wherein:
at least partially shaping the coupon to define the carriers comprises forming slots in the coupon to define the carriers and forming at least one tab that intersects the slots to connect the carriers to the adjacent section of the coupon; and
after applying the at least one layer of insulating material and the at least one layer of conductive material to the coupon, and as part of separating the carriers from the adjacent section of the coupon, removing the at least one tab connecting each carrier to the coupon.

7. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 1 , wherein:
prior to applying the at least one layer of insulating material and the at least one layer of conductive material to the coupon, mounting the coupon to the rigid substrate; and
during applying the at least one layer of insulating material and the at least one layer of conductive material to the coupon, further applying the at least one layer of insulating material and conductive material to the exposed face of the carriers; and
after applying the at least one layer of insulating material and the at least one layer of conductive material to the coupon, releasing the coupon from the rigid substrate.

8. A method of assembling an implantable electrode array, the method including the steps of:
bonding a carrier formed of a superelastic material to a rigid substrate;
while the carrier is bonded to the rigid substrate, applying at least one layer of insulating material and at least one layer of conductive material in separate steps to an exposed face of the carrier to form at least one electrode and at least conductor on the carrier; and
after formation of the at least one electrode and the at least one conductor on the carrier, releasing the carrier from the rigid substrate so that the carrier and the at least one electrode and at least one conductor formed thereon form an electrode array assembly.

9. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 8 , wherein:
the carrier is part of a coupon that is larger in size than the carrier;
in the step of bonding the carrier to the rigid substrate, the coupon is bonded to the rigid substrate;
in the step of applying the at least one layer of insulating material and the at least one layer of conductive material to the carrier, the at least one layer of insulating material and conductive material is applied to plural sections of the coupon with each section being in one of a plurality of carrier-defining sections of the coupon; and
the method further includes separating the carrier-defining sections of the coupon from an adjacent section of the coupon.

10. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 8 , wherein the superelastic material comprises nickel titanium alloy.

11. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 8 , further comprising partially shaping the carrier so that the carrier has a non-planar shape, wherein bonding the carrier to the rigid substrate further comprises causing the carrier to flex into a planar shape as a result of the bonding, and wherein releasing the carrier from the rigid substrate further comprises causing the carrier to at least partially return to the non-planar shape the carrier had prior to the step of bonding the carrier to the rigid substrate.

12. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 8 , further comprising partially shaping the carrier to have at least one tab that is partially separated from adjacent portions of the carrier, wherein during the step of applying the at least one layer of insulating material and the at least one layer of conductive material to the carrier, the at least one layer of conductive material is applied to the carrier to form an electrode on the at least one tab.

13. A method of assembling an implantable electrode array, the method including the steps of:
partially shaping a carrier formed of flexible material so that the carrier has a non-planar shape;
bonding the carrier to a rigid substrate that is planar and causing the carrier to flex into a planar shape as a result of the bonding;
while the carrier is bonded to the rigid substrate, applying at least one layer of insulating material and at least one layer of conductive material in separate steps to an exposed face of the carrier to form at least one electrode and at least conductor on the carrier; and
after formation of the at least one electrode and the at least one conductor on the carrier, releasing the carrier from the rigid substrate so that the carrier and the at least one electrode and at least one conductor formed thereon form an electrode array assembly.

14. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 13 , wherein:
the carrier is part of a coupon that is larger in size than the carrier;
in the step of bonding the carrier to the rigid substrate, the coupon is bonded to the rigid substrate;
in the step of applying the at least one layer of insulating material and the at least one layer of conductive material to the carrier, the at least one layer of insulating material and conductive material is applied to plural sections of the coupon with each section being in one of a plurality of carrier-defining sections of the coupon; and
the method further includes separating the carrier-defining sections of the coupon from an adjacent section of the coupon.

15. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 13 , further comprising forming the carrier of one of the following:
plastically deformable material;
superelastic material; or
polyamide film.

16. The method of assembling an implantable electrode array of claim 13 , further comprising partially shaping the carrier to have at least one tab that is partially separated from adjacent portions of the carrier, wherein during the step of applying the at least

Assignees

• Stryker Corp

Inventors

• Brindley Robert
• Janik John

Classifications

• A61N1/0543

  Retinal electrodes · CPC title

• A61N1/0541

  Cochlear electrodes · CPC title

• A61N1/0551

  Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes · CPC title

• A61N1/0529

  Electrodes for brain stimulation · CPC title

• A61B2562/125

  characterised by the manufacture of electrodes · CPC title